Holes before lam or when done?
Anyone just try drilling a tiny hole the minute they see a bubble?
All these current success stories have me rethinking it again… as I can get some sheets-o-xps for 1/4 the cost of eps…
Christoph, bufo switched apparantly, from XPS, to EPS…
havent seen one though…
This board was a test for a bigwave compsand build.
The top skin is bamboo & the bottom skin is 1/8 benderply and the rails are solid wood-cork. The bender ply skin is way over kill and the rails could be much lighter so
it came in around 13.5Lbs. It is pretty fun on the bumpy-offshore days, but the next one will be lighter with XPS foam - Boo skins and hollow or foam rails.
concerning BUFO, really? Why and how do they build there board without an stringer?
edit: insert pic and site
this is why i guess, dutch surfer in australia,
robby paige surfs Bufo boards too, now is that good publicity or what?
but, they have them milled in a bmw factory to super high precision, then inject fibres, lam it, or vac bag it.
no stringers.
read all about it on their site [and read through the marketing a bit]
lots of blue boards in holland!
in belgium they surf too, if they get lucky, like us
http://www.vvwinout.be/fotogallerie/golfsurfen.gif
I cant be EPS, becuase
**"Water-repellent blank** - Cracks don't matter, because not one drop of water gets inside the water-repellent blank. Continue surfing and repair the board, whenever you want." (BUFO-PAGE)
With Bufo being your Gold Standard just buy one and don’t make your own?
Here’s Shaun on a 3 year old XPS. 4.7 pounds.
No holes and no poking! No Delam.
BELGIUM! 
I actually surf in holland because their coast is closer for me. Northsea is great, it never gets too crowded (except maybe in scheveningen)
If you know how to interpret the forcasts there is a lot of good surf over here 
I’ve seen a lot of bufo boards too! And I shaped two blue styrofoam boards myself, great foam! You just have to poke some holes in your lam when you see a bubble, I have done it a lot because the poor lams I did.
my XPS nr1:
XPS nr2 tinted lam:
like I said above, I haven’t gotten a chance to ride this one yet; been a lot of onanoff work on it. I am hopeful about it though, despite many design flaws known and unbeknownst to me. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, yeh?[img_assist|nid=1043302|title=#005|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1043303|title=#005hmm|desc=|link=none|align=none|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1043304|title=oh 5|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480]so this was # 5, still to be trialed…here was # 2 that got the huge bubble:[img_assist|nid=1043305|title=#2|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1043306|title=the bubbler|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480] and I cant line up the text, but the last 2 pics are #3 that I mashed up backyard kungfu cuz I didn’t want to glass it after the bubble in #2.[img_assist|nid=1043307|title=never glassed|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=640|height=480][img_assist|nid=1043308|title=in memory of dingdong|desc=|link=none|align=right|width=640|height=480] My post here is not useful, but I am interested in people’s trials and tribulations with xps, and I would like just as much as anyone else to be able to glass this stuff without any problems, like surfding and afoaf, and others who have had success!
I love your post!
BEAUTIFUL!
I am unclear on whether or not this one delamed or if it’s still working…let us know!
Thanks, man, but yeh, this is the one that got a frisbee-sized blister…dark brown resin pigment, in the sun too long. Maybe could have fixed it with an injection in a vac bag? Instead I chopped it back about 20"…future kneeboard project. It was fun, too, for the few waist/chest sessions I had with it. So christoph, have you decided on a method?
Dear dpictopn sure:) I have scratched the foam with 40 grit and made some small holes with a steel brush! No problems till now! The only problem i had, is air in the layer! I was too stupid to glass:) next time i will put some resin on the blank, to fill the small pits/holes!! I think thats shloud work better!
Wow! You guy’s and your hole poking? You are creating air in your lams. The holes that XTR dones are done after lamination and hot coat. Since the XPS is Hydrophobic the key is to create breather vents.This is for the trapped gas to escape the foam will not take on water. Putting in holes pre-glass is making a problem. I never put holes before or after. This post is so pain full. Plus it looks like the paint you used catalyized. Too much paint or the wrong type?
Forget about looks for now. Just ride it. On your next one keep it simple and go for a nice shape and a decent glass shop. Don’t worry about painting it. You can always do that with POSCA Pens (Get the Drew Brophy CD) after sanding.
Short boards should be under 5 pounds. For me that’s the whole point in XPS Epoxy (Performance).
Like I said:
Finish with 60 grit - glass bottom first - sit for 24 hours - glass deck. If your using a stringer sand both sides of the glue up as this helps prevent gassing along stringer during lamination. I don’t do holes. However if you do it’s after lamination not before!
At this point finish your board and you can alwalys use the POSCA pens to cosmetically doctor your board.
For the next time i will use your instruction for 100%!!
“Plus it looks like the paint you used catalyized. Too much paint or the wrong type” i have taken this pic with the redcolor because you cant these iced or whatever things on the white foam!!But there are everywhere not just on the painted places!
Hey surfding. Great advice!Thanks for sharing. You have convinced me to give XPS a go! What glassing schedule are you using on your XPS boards though? 2 X 6oz. top and 2 x 4oz bottom?
I use a 1/8" Stringer (Bending Popular) - For a PRO Contest Board: 2 x 4oz. Deck - 4oz. Bottom (less than 4.9) pounds)
- Week-End-Warrior: 4+6oz. Deck - 4 oz. Bottom (just over 5 pounds)
- Mister Worry Wart: 6+6 Deck - 6 Bottom or (4 + 4 Bottom)
- Stringerless 6 + 6 Deck 4 +6 Bottom (I prefere Stringers)
Let me know if you need anything?
SD
love hydro phobic foam.
Royal:
You have a great sense of humor. I was going to retire from the XPS board building business however this tread as turned a light bulb on in my head. It’s time to revist and make a crazy one. This one will be recorded from A-Z every detail including the surfer riding it. So many gave up on XPS years ago. It does have some good points.
Remember it’s Hydrophobic!
Sounds very interesting & mysterious Surfding. Looking forward to see what you got cookin’
As a general question to all, I am struggling to see how pin vent holes can work unless the affected area is very close to the hole.
XPS is closed cell, gas cannot permeate through the foam, so if cells rupture that aren’t right over a pin hole ,
how can the gas get to the pin hole vent so that the gas can escape?
Imagine the blue cells rupturing due to heat, the gas can’t get to the vent unless delamination occurs.
Am i missing something?
[img_assist|nid=1043379|title=XPS|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=407|height=183]
I would say, just follow the instruction from Surfding! 
And all will be good;) I talked yesterday to an engineer from URSA (XPS producer!) It cant be the gas, which cause the delamination! XPS is an combination of gas and air, after 90 days the gas is entire out of the foam!
I think the only problem which you can have is a high pressure inside the surboard, because the density is higher than in EPS! When you grit the foam you build a better adhesion…
and you are right! The Gas or the presure from the air or whatever cant leave the foam by making one pinhole! I think you have to make a couple of pinholes! if its should work